Republic of the Philippines

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Nabua, Camarines Sur

PRINCIPLES OF REFRIGERATION

JOB REPORT

IN

REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING

Name: _________________________________ Course: ME – 3

Job Number: 2
Description: WORKING WITH SOFT COPPER TUBING
Date Started:________________________ Date Finished:______________________
Grade: Remarks: _________________________
Instructor: ENGR. SAUL J. EBONITE, PME

I – Objectives

At the end of this activity you are expected to:

1. Learn how to cut, flare, swage, bend and braze soft copper tube;
2. Make the required project as shown in the working drawing.
II – Overview

One of the most important skills a refrigeration and air conditioning

technician should have is a skill on working soft copper tubing.

The four basic components of a refrigeration system e.g, the compressor,

condenser, expansion device and the evaporator obviously are connected by
copper tubes. It severs as line where the refrigerant, the cooling medium, flows
to arrive at these four basic components.

In this job, you are to perform actual practice on how to work soft copper
tubing. This will enable you to learn technique of how to cut, flare, swage, bend
and braze soft copper tubes by making an actual project designed and as
shown in Part V (Working Drawings and Sketches) in this job report.

III – Learning Aids

a. Tools

1. Tube Cutter 6. Oxy-acetylene

2. Flaring Tools Welding Equipment
3. Swaging Tools
4. Tube Cutter 7. File or Sand Paper
5. Blow Torch or

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 Republic of the Philippines

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Nabua, Camarines Sur

Item No. Qty. Unit Specification Unit Price
Total Price
1. ______ ft. ¼ soft copper tube _________
__________
2. ______ ft. 3/8” soft copper tube _________
__________
3. ______ pcs, silver rod _________
__________
4. ______ pcs, ¼” flare nut _________
__________
5 ______ pc. 3/8” flare nut _________
__________
6. ______ pc. ¼” union coupling _________
__________
7. ______ pc. 3/8” flare plug _________
__________
8. ______ ft. capillary tube _________
__________
9. ______ roll Teflon tape _________
__________
10. ______ can refrigerant Oil _________
__________
11. ______ Can silver flux _________
__________
Grand Total Php _________

IV – Procedures

a. Cutting Soft Copper

1. Move the tube cutter over the spot to be cut.
2. Adjust the cutting wheel so it touches the tube.
3. Apply a slight pressure by rotating the tightening knob of the
cutter to penetrate the copper slightly.
4. Rotate the cutter around the tubing
5. Repeat step 3 and 4 to make a deeper cut until the tubing is cut
without crushing
6. Remove the burr at the end of the tube by filling or by using the
deburring attachment on the cutting tool.

b. Flaring
1. Insert the end of the copper tube to be flared into the proper
size hole on the flaring block with a small amount of the tubing
extending above the flaring block to give allowance for
spreading. Tighten the wing nuts of the flaring block.
2. Position the spinner into the tubing hole. Thrust the spinner to
the burning hole by rotating the lever in a clockwise direction.

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 Republic of the Philippines

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Nabua, Camarines Sur

3. Continue to tighten the lever gradually until the end of the tube
spread over the chamfered portion of the flaring block.
4. Untighten the lever and wing nuts of the flaring tool and remove
the flared copper tube.

c. Swaging
1. Punch Type Swaging Tool
a. Insert the end of the copper tube into the proper size hole on
the swaging block and tighten the wing nuts.
b. Position the puncher into the tubing hole.
c. Using a mallet or a hammer, repeatedly apply hard blows
until the enlarged end length is equal to the diameter of the
copper tube.
d. Remove the swaged copper tube from the swaging block.

2. Screw Type Swaging Tools

a. Insert the end of the copper tube into the proper size hole of
the swaging block so that the inserted end of the tubing is in
the enlarged end of the block.
b. Select the correct swage size adapter and screw in the swage
by tightening the lever.
c. Continue the previous operation until the length of the
enlarged end equals the diameter of the tube.
d. Remove the swaged tube from the swaging tool.

d. Bending
1. Tube Bending Spring
a. Fit the tube bending spring. Move it over the spot to be bent.
b. Bend the assembly slowly and carefully. Make large radius
first then go on to the smaller bend. See to it that the tube
don’t buckle along the process.
c. Continue the operation until the desired form is made.
d. Release the spring from the formed tube by twisting it in a
direction so that it become larger in diameter than the
tubing and pulled out easily.

2. Lever Type Tube Bender

a. Position the spot of the copper tube to the bend on the
bender. Secure it with the bender’s clamp attachment.
b. With the degree measure dial facing you, hold the tube
bender handle with your left hand in a rotate the lever with
the right hand in a clockwise direction until a desired bend
angle in degree is obtained.
c. Remove the bent tube by releasing the lever in the opposite
direction and disengaging the clamp attachment.

e. Brazing

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 Republic of the Philippines

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Nabua, Camarines Sur

1. Preparing the Blow Torch
a. Put gasoline fuel into the blowtorch gasoline cylinder by
turning it upside down. Do not fill the cylinder to its full
capacity. Leave about one-third of its full content to give
allowance for air pressure to be applied later.
b. Restore the stopper at the bottom. Secure it properly and put
the blowtorch back to its normal position.
c. Using the air pump attachment, inject air pressure
repeatedly until resistance is felt on the plunger.
d. Cover the nozzle with any material and open the fuel control
knob. Fuel will trickle down the fuel vessel. Close the control
knob if there is already a sufficient amount of fuel to heat up
the nozzle.
e. Set a flame the gasoline at the vessel. As soon as the nozzle
heats up a reddish flame will be emitted from it. Rotate the
fuel control knob to open slightly. If a liquid fuel spurt from
the nozzle, repeat the warning operation.
f. Adjust the fuel control knob until a bluish flame is emitted
from the nozzle.
2. Silver Brazing
a. Clean the ends of the copper tubes to be connected by a
sand paper.
b. Assemble the parts to be connected apply flux coating on the
parts to be joined. No flux should enter the system being
brazed. Lay it on a metal sheet.
c. Apply heat to the joint until it becomes red hot.
d. With the flame still aimed at it, apply silver rod by melting it
at the surface of the joined spot. Do not apply direct heat to
the silver rod from the blowtorch.
e. Remove the flame and let the assembly cool-off.

V. Sketch/ Working Drawing

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 Republic of the Philippines

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Nabua, Camarines Sur

VI – Self test

1. Why is it preferable to use a roller type tube cutter than a hacksaw in

cutting soft copper tubing?

2. What is the difference between a swaged and a flared end tube ends?

3. What is the purpose of extending a small portion of the copper tube to

be flared above the flaring block?

4. Which is better and efficient a swaged-joint or a flare union-joined

connection? Why?

5. Why is it necessary not to fill the blowtorch cylinder with gasoline fuel
to its full content?

6. What do you think will happen to your work if you apply silver rod to
the spot being joined which is not yet red hot?

7. What is the difference between brazing and soldering operation?

8. Is it advisable to braze a leaking joint while the inside pressure is

high? What do you think may happen if you do?

9. Would you use brazing to join two aluminum tubes?

10. If your answer in the previous question is NO, what method of joining
these tubes would you use?